Crash and Burn
by FOXY FOLLOWER
Summary: Women are being abducted and attacked and it is a race against time for the team to solve the case, then things take a sinister twist. GSR eventually.


**Disclaimer: All characters in this story are owned by CBS but the words, story and mistakes are all mine!**

**AN: This is my first attempt at anything like this so be gentle! **

**Crash and burn.**

**Chapter 1**

'They are escalating, it's gone from assault to rape and now torture and rape, they are one step away from murder.' Grissom looked at each member of his team in turn, they all stood around the large table in the lay out room 'so what evidence do we have on these monsters?' He hated men who abused women more than any other criminal, during his career at the Las Vegas crime lab he had dealt with murderers, child molesters and gang crime on a daily basis, but rapists made his blood boil, in his mind they were the scum of the earth and deserved nothing more than the death penalty.

'We have no DNA, no prints no witnesses, these guys are good they must plan each crime meticulously because they never leave anything behind and because the victims never see their faces we have nothing until they make a mistake.' Catherine voiced what the rest of the team already knew, so far they had met their match with the, 'Vegas drug rapists' as they were being called in the media. Over the course of the last month five victims had been drugged raped and in the case of the last victim Stephanie Doyle, tortured for a number of hours before being dumped in a layby on the edge of the city, she had been so viciously beaten that she had been unconscious for two days. The whole team had been working around the clock to try and crack the case but so far the only piece of information that they had managed to get from the victims was that there were two people involved, one that initially attacked and drugged them and the other was waiting in a small van. The most disturbing piece of information was that although all the victims had been drugged to prevent them trying to escape the drug that had been injected did not render them unconscious and they had been aware of what was happening to them throughout the whole ordeal but were paralysed and unable to prevent it.

'The tox results have come back on the latest victim, the same as the other four, some sort of anti psychotic concoction injected into the thigh, most likely Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride a drug usually used to treat extreme anxiety in people with schizophrenia' Greg looked up from the slip of paper he was holding, 'we could try to find out how many people in the greater Las Vegas area are prescribed this drug, it is pretty strong stuff not something you can come by easily, it is worth a shot.'

'Good you do that Greg and then go home and get some rest, the same goes for the rest of you, we have all been working for the last 34hours straight, we'll start going over the evidence we have collected again tonight maybe we missed something.' Grissom silently left the room feeling one of his migraines beginning to pulsate behind his eyes, he hated these cases.

'I'll give you a hand with that Greg.' Sara volunteered, 'We will have it done in half the time with both of us on it.' For the next hour they trawled the data base for a list of known Chlorpromazine hydrochloride users, exhausted they called it a night or a morning rather as it was almost 11.30 AM deciding to investigate the list with fresh eyes when they returned later than evening

After trying unsuccessfully for over an hour to try and fall asleep Sara finally admits defeat and pulls on her running clothes, pair of casual sweat pants and a tank top and heads for the park around the corner from her apartment building, the place she always goes to burn off her excess energy after a tough case. As she sets an even pace through the park she runs over the evidence in her head. All the victims were aged between 25 and 35 and had been abducted from a night club and subjected to an ever escalating episode of assault and rape, as she continued on her route around the park she was unaware that she was being watched.

**Chapter 2**

He had seen her here before, jogging, gracefully making her way through the park her lean body silently enticing him, she was beautiful, a special case, worth the risk, he scanned the surrounding area, not too many people about. With that he retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and called his partner.

'Get the van and meet me at St Peters Park in the car park.' His voice was raspy as he breathed into the phone.

'Are you serious, it's the middle of the day, I thought we agreed to only go hunting at night, less risk you said'. The voice on the other end of the phone spluttered.

'I know what I said but this is a special case too good to miss; now hurry up and get the van.' With that he flipped the phone together ending the call, he could see her in front of him making her way into the wooded area, this would be his only chance to acquire her before she reached the more crowded area near the pond. Slowly he picked up his pace and began to gain on her, his breath becoming quicker with the exertion and the apprehension.

Feeling the leaves under her feet as she made her way into the woods she loved the feeling of being free, no restraint on her, her rhythmic even pace helped her to relax and she was beginning to feel tired, she would be ready to sleep when she got in. As she mentally planned out what she would do when she got in work later on she failed to notice that someone was closing in behind her, not until it was too later did she sense his presence.

It had been easier than he could ever have imagined, she never turned around when he approached and only managed to put up a weak struggle which was cut short when he struck the back of her head knocking her out, instantaneously she collapsed graciously into his arms. After making sure nobody was around he carried her to the waiting van, she was lighter than he had expected and as he lay her down in the back seat he was able to look closely at her features, she was beautiful, her pale complexion contrasted by her dark brown curly hair pulled back into a loose ponytail with a few loose strands framing her face. Looking up to find his partner staring at him questioningly he quipped, 'I told you this one was special, I have been watching her for a while and as soon as I first saw her I knew I had to have her, the others were just for practise, this one look so like Jennifer it could be her double.'

Mike looked with confusion at his friend, when Zack had first told him about his plan to, 'have some fun' with a few women he had thought it might be a laugh and exciting but Zack had become increasingly obsessive and it had not gone unnoticed by Mike that all the women that had been selected bore an uncanny resemblance to Jennifer, Zack's ex girlfriend. The woman currently in the back of his van was indeed the double of Jennifer but although at first he had enjoyed the sexual excitement of their deviant behaviour he had become scared that Zack was becoming increasingly violent with the women, the last girl had suffered the most, Mike had felt physically sick after witnessing what had happened and he couldn't help but fear for this woman's life. Having sex with them was one thing but beating and torture was another and he didn't want any part of that, but he was trapped, he couldn't go to the police without dropping himself in it and to be honest Zack's unpredictable behaviour was scaring him too, going along with it seemed the only safe option.

'Drive, we need to get her back to the house before she comes round.' Zack was trying to wrap duct tape around the woman's wrists.

'Are you sure about this? It's not too late we could just dump her in the woods and nobody would be any the wiser' Mike hoped that his friend would see sense but even before he finished speaking he knew the answer.

'Haven't you been listening to a word I have said? Look at her, she's perfect I'm not going to miss this opportunity anyway I have something special planned for this one, now just drive will you!'

As Sara began to stir she became aware that her head hurt and she couldn't move her arms, she seemed to be …she slowly opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings for the first time, looking down she realised that her wrist were bound with tape, 'Shit! This is not good'

Looking around the small room she found she was on a bed, pulling herself into a sitting position she took in the small space nothing much to see except the bed she was on and a large clock on the wall 3.40pm, feeling despondent she realised that nobody would be missing her until she failed to report for work in another 7 hours. The window was only a few steps away but as soon as she pulled back the drapes her heart sank, the window was nailed shut and a wooden panel blocked her view to outside, turning around she moved with shaky legs to the only door in the room, her breath coming in short gasps, she had to find a way out of here and quick every bone in her body told her she was in serious trouble, but before she could take another step the door opened.

**Chapter 3**

'Ah, you are awake, good' the man approaching her spoke calmly but she could not read his expression because the mask he wore covered the whole of his face.

Slowly Sara began to back away from the man closing in on her, while doing this she failed to notice another man enter the room also wearing a mask but carrying a syringe. 'Stay away from me you psycho, don't come any closer.' Sara's voice was not as convincing as she had hoped it would be, it came out more of a plea that a demand.

Before she could formulate a plan she noticed the second man too late as he grabbed her and sank the needle into her thigh, she just managed to let a scream escape her lips before the man put his hand over her mouth to silence her, instinctively she bit down on his hand causing him to cry out in pain, 'Fucking bitch bit me!' recovering quickly the man rewarded her actions with a swift slap across the face but the stinging sensation was numbed by the effect of the drugs as they entered her bloodstream, her whole body felt heavy, she tried to move her legs but they would not respond. As if in slow motion she could feel herself being carried back to the bed and the tape on her wrists being removed.

'Get the camera, I want you to get all this. OK?'

Mike then began to understand what Zack had meant when he said that he had planned something special for this one, he could hardly believe what he was hearing, surely he wasn't expected to film Zack attacking this woman in some sick retribution for Jennifer leaving him for another guy? 'Are you serious?'

'Don't worry, you will get your turn, now get the camera quick,' Zack slowly began to pull at Sara's sweat pants, he could hardly believe how beautiful she was, he was going to enjoy this. When Mike returned he found him caressing her hair and whispering incoherently, 'Ready?'

'Sure' what else could he say? So he set the camera rolling and watched as Zack systematically raped the young woman, feeling his own arousal stir, this was the part that he liked, that kept him coming back for more, soon it would be his turn and nothing else would matter, his conscience would not bother him again until much later.

Sara could feel the intense pain between her legs as the man forced himself into her but she couldn't move she tried to scream but all that escaped her lips was a slurred squeal, 'N.. N.. OOOO! She tried again, tears began to prick her eyes, she knew exactly who had attacked her in the park and worse still she knew exactly what was going to happen to her, what she didn't know is if they would let her live or take that final step and kill her. Lay on the bed her eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling she could not decide if she wanted to live or die, right now the pain ripping through her body made her want it to be over but the thought of never seeing Grissom again, no she needed to get through this she wasn't going to let this sick bastard win.

When she felt the weight lift from her body she tried to roll to one side and curl up into a ball but a pair of hands grabbed her wrist and she saw the other man looming over her, Oh God he was going to kiss her she felt his hot sickly breath across her face, it made her want to vomit, she felt the bile rising in her stomach, quickly she turned her head away only to feel him grab her face and turn her back, wet eager lips met her own and his tongue forced its way into her mouth. After releasing her hand he moved his attention to her thighs roughly grabbing them and forcing his way, this time his mouth stifled her slurred screams and a single tear escaped her eyes, she felt sticky wetness trickling down her thigh and managed to glance at the other man leaning against the wall with the camera, he was smirking to himself, 'Are you having fun yet darlin'? He laughed.

The clock on the wall came back into focus; she must have blacked out, 8.55pm. The heavy feeling in her limbs had subsided and she managed to push herself to her feet, she realised that she was only wearing her tank top and that her legs were covered in blood she tried to straighten up but the pain in her abdomen prevented her from doing so. She could hear muffled voices from the other side of the door, they were coming closer, quickly she hid behind the door and when it opened and one of the men entered she quickly grabbed him, catching him off balance she managed to force his arm up his back but the affects of the drugs slowed her reactions and he easily whipped round and with little effort lifted her off her feet literally throwing her against the wall, following her he grabbed the straps of her top and pulled her up the wall.

'You wanna get physical? He grabbed her by the throat sneering, 'You've met your match with me, you like it rough, you got it' with that he punched her in the face causing her to collapse to her knees, grabbing her hair and returning her to the bed where he continued his assault.

As the constant punches reigned down over her body Sara tried in vein to curl up and protect herself, after what seemed like an age the punches stopped and she groaned tasting the bitter sensation of blood in her mouth slowly she opened her eyes in time to see the man with the needle coming towards her and a few seconds later the now familiar feeling of intoxication washed over her pain ridden body thankfully numbing her senses. Absently she felt herself being roughly turned over, the coarse fabric of the mattress scraping the side of her face. Again she felt herself being violated and used but she was resigned to the vicious attack all the fight had left her, involuntarily her body winced and jerked as the pain consuming her. She felt him bite her neck causing a shock of pain down her arm and again as he continued his torture.

**11pm LV Crime Lab**

'Where's Sara, it is not like her to be late?' Grissom looked at the rest of his team in the break room; they all looked from one to the other.

'She left with me this morning.' Announced Greg, 'Said she was going straight home'

'I'll call her, maybe she overslept.' Catherine left the break room flipping out her cell, returning a few minutes later, 'No answer on her home phone or cell they just keep going to answer phone.'

Grissom seemed to take a few seconds to process this information before replying, 'Nick do you still have a spare key to Sara's apartment?'

'Sure but it's only for emergencies, I don't want to upset Sara by snooping around her apartment, you know how she gets when she is pissed off – scary!'

' I know but this isn't like Sara to be late, just go over there Nick see if there is any sign of her, if she catches you send her to me and I will deal with her.'

Nick looked at his boss sceptically, 'since when has anybody dealt with Sara, she's a live wire, but if you insist I'll go right over there. Getting up Nick gave his colleagues a quick wave and then he was gone.

Sara felt herself being pulled to her feet, still woozy from the concoction she had been injected with she swayed and began to collapse again as the room spun before her, until a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders, she blinked rapidly as she tried to focus on what was in front of her, eventually she recognised one of the men but it took a second or two longer for her to realise that he was holding a knife, clumsily she tried to wriggle away from his grasp, staggering only a few paces before she felt the first cut across her shoulder, crying out she turned and nearly fell onto him, hands flapping in front of her she tried to push him away, but every time her attempts were met with the cold hard blade of the knife. Blood began to trickle between her fingers but she continued to fight

'As much as we have enjoyed your company sweetheart, our time together must come to an end.' The man sneered.

Sara began to cry, body shaking sobs left her body and she backed away managing only a few steps before she hit the wall, franticly scanning the room she noticed the other man in the corner quietly holding the camera, 'Please, no Please don't.' but he didn't move just kept looking at her, his face concealed by the mask that seemed to mock Sara as she pleaded and cried eventually exhausted she began to slump down the wall to her knees as the knife wielding man loomed over her.

Mike's breathing began to quicken as he saw the knife, Zack had finally gone too far, he was going to kill her, the woman was cowering in the corner of the room begging and calling out for someone, her husband? All she kept saying was, 'Grissom, help me, please'

Less than 30 seconds later Zack stepped back from the woman's still body.

'Shit man what have you done?' Mikes voice was full of panic the camera forgotten at his feet.

'Get the sheet off the bed and help me wrap her in it.' Zack gasped, he was sweating now, maybe he had gone too far, a feeling of panic washed over his body, they had to get rid of her quick, he looked again at the naked form of the woman at his feet, her body unrecognisable from that of the same woman 12 hours before, bruises covered her upper body and blood smeared down her legs and seeped slowly from the cuts on her wrist. The rage he had felt against her only a few minutes ago had been replaced by guilt, he had done this to her, she wasn't Jennifer; she didn't deserve what he had put her through.

Nick pulled his Tahoe into the parking lot outside of Sara's apartment immediately noting that her car was parked in her slot, 'well if she has gone out then she was on foot' he slid out of the drivers seat and made his way up the steps to the small apartment that Sara had rented for the last 5 years, he had been there on a few occasions before but never without being invited. Nick knocked on the door and waited patiently listening intently for any sound coming from inside the apartment, after a minute or so he knocked again, still no answer, reluctantly he withdrew the key from his jeans pocket and let himself into the unfamiliar apartment. It didn't take long for Nick to conclude that Sara was not home; her apartment was small consisting of a main living area and one bedroom with a small bathroom. Nick quickly became aware that Sara's bed had been slept in as the covers were disturbed but there was no sign of a struggle and no other evidence indicated where she had gone when she had got up or how long ago she had left. Nick felt perturbed, something was not right. Subconsciously he phoned Grissom, relaying his discovery to his boss,

'Something doesn't feel right boss, something has happened to her or she would have phoned in and explained if she was just delayed.'

'OK get yourself back to the lab I'll deal with this' after terminating the call he quickly redialled, Brass answered after the second ring,

'Brass'

'Hey it Gil, look Sara hasn't turned in for shift and Nick says her car is still at her apartment but there is no sign of her, I'm getting worried.' Grissom realised he was beginning to ramble and abruptly stopped simply adding, 'can you call in a few favours and get your guys to keep an eye out for her?'

Hearing the panic in his friends voice Brass swiftly put out a call to all units to look out for any sighting of Sara, 'don't worry Gil, I'm sure she's alright this is Sara we are talking about she's as tough as old boots she probably just got caught up in something and forgot the time.' Even Brass didn't truly believe what he was telling his friend; Sara was never late for work.

'Thanks Jim, give me a call as soon as you have any news and I will let you know if she turns up here.' Ending the call Grissom leaned back in his chair, he had been worried about Sara for some time, some of the recent cases had affected her deeply and after she had told him about her childhood he had come to realise how fragile she was, not the Sara that she let the people at work see but at the end of shift when she thought she was alone he had seen her drop the mask she wore all shift and the sadness and sense of loss in her eyes was clear, he had wanted to hold her then and tell her that everything would be alright, that he wouldn't let anybody hurt her again but his feet wouldn't move towards her instead he had retreated into his office and the words had remained unsaid, lost in his head unable to escape his lips, he felt like a coward but he was scared, not of her but of his feelings for her that were pent up inside so tightly that he was afraid to let them escape and show her that he cared about her. Sitting here in his office he wished with all his worth that he had spoken to her that day because deep in the pit of his stomach he knew something was wrong, had she finally had enough and left, no, not that, but something was wrong, that much he knew for sure.

**Chapter 4**

Billy Davis was tired, he had been driving all day and he needed a break before he fell asleep at the wheel, seeing a lay-by ahead he slowly pulled the truck to a halt and got out retrieving his thermos along the way, the cold desert air immediately hitting his face as he opened the door. Lighting a cigarette his began to walk around the truck to work some life back into his stiff legs when he noticed something partly concealed in the bushes, confused he took a step closer to investigate, he was still a couple of mile out of Vegas so he was shocked to be looking at the naked body of what looked like a woman but he couldn't tell how old she was because she was covered in what looked like blood, 'Holy shit!' Billy swore to himself, flipping out his cell he dialled 911 his hands shaking and the feeling of nausea welling up in his stomach. His cigarette and thermos forgotten on the floor.

After relaying his story to the dispatcher on the other end Billy nearly passed right out when the body groaned, 'Oh shit man, she's not dead She just made a noise, Get an ambulance' he screamed into the phone as he reached into the cab of his truck and retrieved a blanket, 'hurry, I don't know how much longer she can last out here, it's real cold.' He listened intently as the woman on the other end of the phone relayed advice to him.

Brass heard the call on his scanner and sped to the location beating the ambulance, jumping out of his Taurus he jogged over to where the younger man was kneeling over what looked like a bunch of rags; it wasn't until he got within a couple of metres that he realise that the man was trying to cover a body with a blanket, the man was visibly shaking and muttering under his breath, kneeling at the side of the man Brass spoke softly as not to startle him.

'Hey buddy, you wanna fill me in on what you found?'

Billy's head spun round when he heard the mans voice he had been so caught up in trying to cover up the lithe form in front of him that he had been completely unaware of the car pulling up nearby and the detective approaching.

'I needed a break I've driven into state from California and I was feeling tired so I pulled my truck in over there,' briefly motioning towards the stationary vehicle a few yards away, 'I took a walk around my truck and that's when I first noticed it, er her, at first I thought it was a pile of rubbish till I came closer and that's when I called 911, I thought she was dead at first then she made a noise, the woman on the phone told me to try and keep her warm so I got my sleeping bag out of the truck, that's when you arrived.' Getting to his feet and stepping away from the body he continued, 'She's not made any more noise since, do you think she's dead? Somebody has given her a hell of a beating.'

After listening to the young mans story Brass moved over to the body careful as to no disturb the area around it. 'Apart from putting the blanket on her did you touch her or move anything?'

'No, man, to tell you the truth this whole thing is freaking me out some, do you mind if I go sit back in my truck, I feel a bit…'

Brass glanced away impatiently as the young man threw up the contents of his stomach, thankfully he had the sense to move a significant way from the scene. Returning his attention back to the young woman Brass was vaguely aware of the ambulance siren in the distance, quickly he put his latex gloves on and felt for a pulse at the woman's neck, while doing this he disturbed the lock of hair that had been across her face concealing her features, sensing that there was a faint pulse Brass let his eyes wander over the woman's features, underneath the blood and bruises he registered a flicker of recognition, 'Oh Jesus no.' Looking more closely over the woman, dark wavy hair, carefully sculptured eyebrows and as his eyes travelled to the pair of feet lifelessly peeking out from the blanket he recognised the starburst tattoo on her left ankle, he had heard Greg describing the unique design after he had caught sight of it during a case. 'Sara'

Flipping out his cell Brass took in a deep breath hoping to somehow avoid the conversation he was about to make.

'Grissom'

'Hi Gil its Jim' without giving him time to continue Grissom interrupted.

'Have you found her? I've been going out of my mind here…'

Cutting in sharply Brass continued, 'Yeah, I've found her, Look there is no easy way to say this so I will just say it, I'm With her now, it looks like she has been attacked and dumped…'

After hearing the word attacked Grissom stopped taking in any more information,' Is she dead Jim?' Was the only line he managed to articulate.

'The paramedics are here but it doesn't look good, the guy who found her though she was but he said she started to make a noise, I've been here a while and she hasn't made a sound but I did feel a pulse. Grissom, why don't you meet us at the hospital, if you leave now you will probably beat us there.'

Grissom felt numb, although he was hearing what his friend was saying he could not comprehend the words, his surroundings seemed to drift away from him and he felt like he was trapped in a nightmare unable to wake up and escape. 'Where are they taking her?'

After a brief discussion with the EMT Brass confirmed that they would be taking her to Desert Palm after they had stabilized her.

Ending the call Brass just sat and watched as they loaded the body of young woman who he had come to think of as a daughter into the ambulance, as they removed the blanket the truck driver had covered her with he was forced to look away after catching sight of her broken and blooded body, feeling his body stiffen he resigned to catching who was responsible and making them pay, nothing was more important to him now. Glancing at where Sara had been dumped Brass noticed something in what looked like a Jiffy bag, thankful that he was still wearing his gloves he picked it up and opened it carefully revealing a small cassette, puzzled he placed it in a evidence bag and returned to his Taurus and sped after the ambulance with his blues and twos blazing leaving two officers to secure the scene.

**Chapter 5**

At the hospital Grissom was nervously pacing the corridor, as Jim had predicted he had beaten the ambulance carrying Sara back to the hospital, he tried to go over what Jim had said on the phone, he had implied that she had been the latest victim of the Vegas Drug Rapist, the thought alone made Grissom's stomach contract, before he could dwell any further the doors slammed open and a gurney surrounded by doctors propelled its way down the corridor, 'She's gone into VF, we need to get her into the ER now' One of the Doctors shouted to nobody in particular.

Pressing his body against the wall so that the gurney could pass Grissom stole a quick glace at the still form lying motionless and looking ashen against the bright colour of the blood, only her head and shoulders were visible above the bright blue hospital blanket but that was enough to make Grissom's knees collapse from under him.

Brass came to his friend and helped him up,' All we can do now is wait and let them do their job, come on lets find the waiting room they know we are here, they will find us when they have some news.' Minutes turned into hours as the pair waited in silence for news, eventually after over four hours of agony the heavy wooden door to the waiting room opened and a female Doctor entered the room with a file in her hands.

"I'm looking for the family of Sara Sidle?" She looked expectantly from Grissom to Brass.

"Erm, Sara doesn't have any family we are her friends, can you give us an update on her condition?" Brass introduced himself and Grissom.

The Doctor took a moment to process what Brass had just said then nodded in approval before continuing, she glanced briefly at Grissom who was sitting quietly in the seat next to Brass absently plucking at the material of his shirt. Shock had replaced the panic that had originally hit him, he had not spoken a word the entire time that they had been waiting in the small claustrophobic room, instead he had been lost in his thoughts, going over all the things he had done and said that had hurt Sara and for the life of him he could not remember a single reason as to why he had treated her so badly, the reasons that had stopped him from following his heart and showing her how much she meant to him had seemed to have disappeared and were replaced by a empty feeling of loss, what if it was too late if he never had the opportunity to tell her how he felt, to hold her in his arms and protect her from all the things that had hurt her in the past. Suddenly he realised that someone had entered the room and was talking.

Doctor Jacobs was exhausted, she had worked a 20 hour shift and the last four hours had taken their toll on her, since starting out her career over fifteen years ago she had never seen anything like what had entered her department earlier on this evening. "Sara has suffer some of the most horrific injures I have ever seen, I understand you think she has been the victim of the Vegas Drug rapist, well having treated one of the previous victims myself I would say you are probably right I have sent samples of her blood off to toxicology to test for traces of the antipsychotic drug used on the other victims the results should be back within the hour." The woman paused drawing in a deep breath before resuming her prognosis, "Her injuries are extensive, she has several broken ribs, a broken shoulder three fingers on her right hand are broken in numerous places probably her hand has been stamped on at some point she has cuts to her upper arms and torso some deep, some superficial, defensive wounds to her hands extensive bruising to her face and body and after we X rayed her we found she had a fractured skull where she had been hit with a blunt instrument and her cheekbone is fractured, Like the other victims Sara had been savagely raped, there is extensive trauma and she will need stitches to repair some of the worst damage." Both men looked at the Doctor in complete shock, thinking that she had finished her evaluation Grissom began to speak.

"Will she…"

"I haven't finished Mr Grissom, by far the most serious of Sara's injuries is her wrists, it appears that the people who assaulted her were not content with torture, they tried to slit her wrist, deep lacerations on both wrist has caused severe blood loss, the only reason she did not bleed out is because they tied her hands with duct tape inadvertently stemming the flow, without that she would be dead, in fact we nearly lost her when she first arrive but we have managed to stabilize her for the time being but she is very poorly.

Standing up on shaky legs Grissom approached the Doctor, "Can I see her? I want to be near her."

Seeing the pain in the mans face the Doctor simply nodded before adding, "Only for a few minutes but you will have to wait until we have made her a bit more comfortable and I should remind you that her facial injuries are extensive."

"I understand I just need to see her let her know she is not on her own, she will be so frightened on her own, she doesn't like hospitals much."

Brass looked at Grissom but when he did not elaborate he decided not to pry, "I'll head back to the lab and fill everybody in on the situation, I know they will be going out of their mind and I have got some evidence to hand in." Grissom barely registered his friend's words as he was going over what the doctor had said, _how could anybody hurt her?_ He felt bile rise from his stomach as he thought about what she had endured during her ordeal what made it worse was the fact that he knew how she had suffered as a child, was there no end to her nightmare? Brass momentarily put a hand on his friends shoulder then left the room eager to get away from the horror that faced Grissom, it was not that he did not want to see Sara more that he could not bare to look at what those monsters had done to her, removing the evidence bag from his pocket he looked at it, he was almost too frighten to think about what was on the video tape, no tape had been found with any other the other victims, puzzled he made his way out of the hospital towards his car.

**Chapter 6**

The rays of daylight began to shine through the blinds as Grissom sat impatiently waiting for the Doctor to return, eventually the door opened and Doctor Jacobs beckoned him to follow her.

"We have sedated her due to her injuries, so far she is responding well to treatment but the next few hours are going to be very important." They stopped outside a room and the Doctor added, "Are you ready?

"Yeah" His voice was barely a whisper, she pushed open the door and he entered. The first thing that struck him was all the machines surrounding her, although the doctor had said she was breathing on her own two machines recorded her breathing, pulse, blood pressure and every other response her body made. The stark white of the bedding only emphasised the extent of her bruises, her beautiful face which he could vividly recall from just a few hours before had been broken and cruelly used as a punch bag. A splint protected the fingers of one hand and the probe from one of the machines was connected to the other so he couldn't get near to her to hold her hand, he felt a tear escape and travel absently down his face. Thick white bandages were wrapped around her wrists and covered most of her hands; through the thin hospital gown he could see several dressings covering various wounds. Noticing a chair in the corner of the room Grissom dragged it as close as he could to the bed and tenderly stroked her hair, "I'm going to make all this better, I'm going to take care of you, I promise." Lowering his head into his free hand he began to cry freely, not really knowing how he could make this all better but he knew he had to find a way.

Brass entered the break room where all the rest of the graveyard shift had assembled to wait for news, he had told Catherine briefly what had happened when he had called but had spared the details until he could tell them face to face. "How's Sara? Can we go see her?" Nick got up to meet the detective.

"It's not good news guys, it looks like she has been attacked by those sick bastards that have been terrorising Vegas this last month, according to the Dr, the MO is nearly the same as the other victims, with a few extras,"

"What do you mean a few extras?" Greg asked his brow furrowed in a frown.

Brass looked at Catherine to rescue him but she was listening intently waiting for him to continue, "Erm, it looks like they tried to finish the job, they slashed her wrists and dumped her far enough out of the city that they probably thought she wouldn't be found soon, luckily a truck driver spotted her otherwise.." He let his voice trail off.

Greg flopped back in his seat while Warrick and Nick looked at each other, both men were close to Sara she was their friend and it made them physically sick to think of her enduring what they knew the other victims had gone through.

"Is Gil still at the hospital?" Catherine asked she knew more than anybody how Grissom felt about Sara, Oh sure he had never told her in so many words but it was clear to anybody with eyes that he was crazy about her. This was going to tear him apart and she was worried about her friend after all he had been there for her through the tough times and she would do the same for him if he let her.

"Yeah, he wanted to see her and stop with her saying something about her being frightened on her own as she was scared of hospitals, I thought that was a weird thing to say but you know Gil." Catherine thought about his words a moment before he interrupted her thoughts, "I found this near were she was dumped, this is another new thing, I'm almost too scared to see what's on it" The whole team looked at the clear evidence bag that contained the small tape.

"I guess we had better go and find Archie and find out." Catherine stood and closed the gap between herself and the detective before adding, "Just me and you see this, if it contains what I think it will I don't want anybody who doesn't need to seeing it." With that she left the break room and the rest of the team to come to terms with the new developments.

Back at the hospital Grissom sat quietly listening to the rhythmic bleep of the machines as they recorded her heartbeat. Suddenly the beeping increased and he felt the bed move as she began to thrash her arms, then the screaming began, it was more of a whimper at first then it increased to a full ear piercing scream. Nurses entered the room within seconds and he backed away to allow them to tend to her. "What's happening?" He said to nobody in particular.

"The meds are wearing off and she is regaining consciousness." With that she returned her attention back to the bed, Sara was blindly flaying her arms and trying to back away from the nurses as they tried to calm her. "If she doesn't calm down we will have to sedate her again"

"Let me try, would that be OK?" Grissom slowly stepped towards the bed and leaned near enough so that Sara could see him clearly.

"Sara, Sara listen to me honey, you are safe." Sara breathing was coming in short gasps and her eyes were as big as saucers but she stopped screaming and focused on Grissom, deciding that was an encouraging sign he continued, "You are in hospital, you are safe, I wont let anything happen to you ever again, I promise." She simply blinked and continued to stare at him before eventually lying back on the pillow and closing her eyes. Grissom returned his chair and sat beside her again.

**Chapter seven**

Catherine and Brass stared at the screen in the video lab nether able to say a word as the brutal images played in front of them. Catherine had been right as to what the tape contained but she could never have guessed how perverse and sickening the attack had been, it left nothing to the imagination. Every minute of Sara's attack right down to the final assault had been played out in front of them; Catherine sat with one hand over her mouth as the screen went black to signify the end of the tape. _She had called for Grissom, when she thought she was going to die she had called out for him._

"Jesus Fucking Christ" Brass sat back in his chair, he had been in the police force most of his adult life and he thought he had seen everything at least once but what he had just witnessed had left him dumbfounded and physically shaken. Hearing quiet sobs from beside him he turned to see Catherine crying into her hands, in one fluid motion he pulled her into an embrace, no words passed between them for nearly five minutes as they stayed in the same position each knowing how the other felt without needing words. Eventually they composed themselves, "This doesn't leave this room." Catherine announced retrieving the tape from the machine, "Sara's been through enough, I know when we catch these sickos it will be used as evidence but the fewer people to see this the better"

"I'm with you on this one, Catherine do you think she will ever get over this?"

After taking a beat to think his question over Catherine shook her head and left the room leaving Brass to his thoughts.

Catherine found Grissom in the same position when she entered the hospital room, after taking a minute to look at Sara and swallow back a gasp at the sight of her friend she placed a hand on his shoulder, "How's she doing?" When he turned to face her she knew he had been crying his face was drawn and his eyes red rimmed.

"Not good, do you know what they did to her Catherine." His voice pained with emotion, his eyes revealing what he could not say.

Silently she drew him to her while he openly cried, this was the first time she had ever seen Grissom cry and it unnerved her somewhat, he had always been the strong one giving advice and emotional support. "I know." She soothed rubbing his back as he sobbed out his pain. "We are all here for you both; we'll get you through this Grissom, both of you." Eventually he regained his composure and thanked her.

"Is there anything I can get you, coffee, something to eat or a change of clothes?"

Shaking his head Grissom went back to stroking Sara's hair, quietly Catherine left the room.

Over the following days Grissom only left Sara's side to use the bathroom, Catherine and Brass took turns to bring in food and Coffee and on the fifth day Doctor Jacobs entered the small room and lifted Sara's chart of the end of the bed. "How are you feeling today Sara?"

Receiving only a series of blinks as a reply Doctor Jacobs turned to Grissom, "has she spoken at all?"

Shaking his head Grissom turned to the Doctor, "Is this normal?"

"She's still in shock, physically all her injuries are beginning to heal but we can only do so much, the mental scars will take much longer to heal, if they ever do." After writing on the medical chart she added, "Sara can go home tomorrow but I would advise that she is not on her own, you said she has no family?!

"Yeah, thats right, but that doesn't matter because she will be staying with me, I will see that she gets everything she needs."

"Are you aware of what that will involve Mr Grissom.." Her voice trailed off, shocked at his announcement the doctor observed the man in front of her closely, he had not left the young woman's side and it was apparent that they were much more than simply co-workers.

"Dr Jacobs I appreciate your concern but I have made my decision, I am willing to do what ever it takes to help Sara through this ordeal." Returning to the bed Grissom fixed Sara in an even look and continued, "If that is OK with you?"

If the room had not been as quiet as it was then they would not have heard the tiny voice escape from her lips, "Yes" Grissom smiled then for the first time in over a week and gently brushed a stray hair away from her face, "I'll get Catherine to bring you some clothes in later and collect some for my house anything else we can pick up later."

Back at the lab all the evidence that had been collected from the crime scene and from Sara had been processed and Greg sped into Catherine's office, "Got em" he nearly shouted.

"What?" Catherine looked up from the pile of paperwork that was nearly covering her desk.

"DNA results are back, Sara must have scratched one of them, because we got DNA from under her fingernails and CODIS came up with a match," Greg looked extremely pleased with himself and rightly so, Catherine snatched the paper from his hand.

"Zack Roper, I'll call Brass get him to rush a warrant to this address, round up the guys Greg, lets get these bastards." With that he sprinted from the room leaving Catherine to make the all important call.

Half an hour later three police cruisers and a black SUV pulled up outside a small single storey house, Catherine, Greg, Warrick and Nick made their way over to where Brass was barking out orders, "Ok you guys hold back while we check this out, I'll give you the word when we are all clear." With that he sent two officers around the back of the property and he headed to the front door flagged by four more. Within minutes of them entering the house Brass re-emerged with a scruffy man who looked to be in his early thirties who was wearing a sleeveless top that had probably once been white but was now a dirty grey colour and looked none too clean, ripped jeans covered his thin legs and he was barefoot. Walking over to the group of CSI's Brass wiped a handkerchief across his sweaty brow, "Zack Roper." He stated, motioning to the man being bungled into the back of a cruiser, "The house is a pig sty all except one room that was bolted shut, you've got to see this for yourselves. He was already making his way back into the house when he shouted over his shoulder, "Bring your kit's with you."

As the team entered the house they were met with a smell, it could not be categorized as one thing in particular more a culmination of sweat, rotting food and something else that they couldn't quite put a name to, yet. Brass continued through the house until he stopped outside a heavy wooden door, opening it he stepped back to allow the rest of the team to enter.

Catherine was the first into the room, a small box room no more than four metres by five metres, her eyes gazed around the room taking in the only piece of furniture, the double bed, noting the windows boarded up she guessed this was where the assaults had taken place, she recognised the wall paper from the tape Brass had found next to Sara's body, feeling a chill travel down her spine as she bent down to investigate a suspicious stain on the carpet the other side of the bed, getting a swab from her kit she confirmed that it was blood, that's what the other smell had been the sweet coppery smell of blood and although it looked like an attempt had been made to clear it up smears on the walls and dried stains on the exposed mattress told her exactly what had gone on in this room. "Lets get to work, I'll collect everything from in here, Nick Warrick you take the rest of the house and Greg can you arrange for the van out front to be towed back to the lab?"

"I'm on it" The team set to work collecting, swabbing and photographing every piece of evidence so that they could nail the guy who had preyed on innocent women for the last month but more so to get justice for their friend.

**Chapter 8**

Later that night Grissom sat dozing in the chair at the side of Sara's bed when a knock at the door awoke him, Catherine strolled in carrying a small holdhaul greeting him with a smile, "We got him!"

Still groggy from his uncomfortable slumber Grissom looked at her with a frown until she continued.

"Zack Roper, previous convictions for domestic abuse and violent assault, we got his DNA from evidence we collected from Sara and we picked him up today, Brass just rang on the way over here, he said that when he was faced with all the evidence he folded like a deck of cards and was only too eager to give us the name of his accomplice." Placing a hand on Grissom's shoulder she sighed, "It's over, the tape was more than enough evidence to link him to the crime but with a full confession he will be lucky if he doesn't get the needle. One mistake that is all it took and all the other evidence just fitted into place."

Silently Grissom nodded and then his eyes went wide, "what tape?"

Catherine immediately realised her slip but the power of Grissom's stare prevented her form avoiding the truth, "Gil, when Brass found Sara there was a tape near where she was," pausing Catherine momentarily glanced at the younger woman apparently sleeping soundly in the bed, she was still covered in bruises but the swelling had gone down some making her look a little more like the woman they all knew.

"Go on." Grissom urged.

Unable to stall any longer Catherine continued, "They videoed it Gil, all of it." Not wanting to elaborate any further Catherine watched as the slow realisation of her words hit him full force making him look all of his 50 years and then some. "My God." His words hung in the air causing a heavy silence between them.

After a few uncomfortable moments Catherine eventually found something to say, "How is she? She's looking a little better."

Grissom snapped back to reality and replied, "The Doctor was in while ago and they said she can go home tomorrow, that's why I asked you to bring the clothes." He nodded to the bag she was still holding, he took it from her setting it on the floor at his feet.

Catherine's mouth formed a perfect O as she processed what he had just said, "Is she well enough to go home, what I mean is will she be alright on her own, is it not too soon?"

"She is coming home with me, I have spoken to the Sheriff and I have organised a month's leave as of today."

"Is that a good idea Gil, I mean after what she has been through do you not think she would be better staying with a woman, I have a spare room, maybe she would be more comfortable with me."

Setting Catherine in an even stare Grissom slowly shook his head, "No, I will look after her, I promised her I would make things alright again, I know what I am doing Catherine and she agreed to let me take care of her."

Catherine was shocked, she would have loved to be a fly on the wall during that conversation, she seriously doubted that Sara would openly admit to needing looking after, but that was the old Sara, the Sara that never took no for an answer and needed nobody to look after her. After what she had been through Catherine wasn't so sure she would ever see the feisty headstrong woman again. Knowing better than to argue with Grissom over anything connected to Sara, Catherine decided it best to change the subject slightly, "Do you want me collect some clothes for her and bring them over to your place tomorrow?"

Sensing that Catherine had accepted his answer he relaxed somewhat and even allowed a small smile to pull at the corners of his mouth, "Thanks Catherine that would be a big help."

**Chapter Nine**

The following morning Grissom entered the small hospital room that had been home to him for nearly a week to find a nurse helping Sara into a wheel chair, dressed comfortably in a pair of sweat pants and t shirt she winced as she began to get to her feet, bandages still covered most of her arms and a sling supported her broken shoulder, her other arm protectively splayed across her stomach as she doubled over in pain. Quickly Grissom scooted an arm around her waist and guided her into the waiting chair. "Are you OK honey, do you need some painkillers?"

"No, I'll manage, let's get out of here." Her voice barely above a whisper.

Without further hesitation Grissom hitched the holdhaul onto his shoulder and proceeded to wheel Sara out of the room before he felt a hand on his arm.

"Mr Grissom, you will need these, I have put in enough spare dressings to last you a week until Sara returns for her check up. Try and keep the wounds as dry as possible and if you have any problems give us a call." With that the nurse kneeled down to face Sara sat in the chair, "Good luck Sara, you are in good hands" smiling she left the room.

They had been back at Grissom's townhouse a few hours and Sara was asleep on the couch, he could not help but watch her as she began to mumble and whimper incoherently, he knew she was having bad dreams, he had seen her wake up screaming in the hospital eyes wide with fear. Moving to the sit on the edge of the coffee table beside the couch he leaned across and stroked her hair, slowly her eyes opened and he found himself looking directly into the most beautiful pair of chocolate brown orbs, true they were still slightly swollen from the beating but that did not detract from their intoxicating beauty, feeling himself being drawn in to their dark pools he blinked and asked how she was feeling.

Since she had regained consciousness in the hospital she had been aware that Grissom had stopped with her the whole time, she had been shocked when he had offered to look after her but she did not have the strength to refuse, now looking into his steely blue orbs she couldn't help but feel safe. All her life she had been let down by the men she had loved and trusted from her father to past boyfriends, this attack was just the latest trauma, while lying in the hospital bed she couldn't help but wonder if it was somehow her fault. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable on the couch she tried to get up to a sitting position but her whole body ached, feeling warm hands helping her to sit up she sighed. "Thanks, I feel so helpless; I can't seem to do anything without help."

"Give it time Sara, are you hungry?"

"No, not really I think I will just go to bed."

Grissom was worried since the attack Sara had barely eaten anything and it was beginning to become obvious that her already small frame was getting smaller but he did not want to push her too soon, _let her rest for today and I will start building her up tomorrow_, he thought to himself. He helped her to the guest room where he had put out all the stuff Catherine had collected from her apartment and brought over earlier, when he had settled her into bed he headed to the door, before disappearing through it he turned saying, "If you need anything my room is just across the hall, just shout, I'll leave the door open." Receiving a small nod as a reply he left the room.

Several hours later Sara woke with a start, she had been dreaming she was still being attacked she could feel the men's hands all over her body and their voices mocking her as she cried out in pain, slowly she scrambled up from the bed and made her way into the adjoining bathroom, she had to get the feeling of them off her she felt dirty just like she had when her father had touched her, she had known it was wrong then but was too scared to do anything about it. Turning on the shower she managed to untie the bandages on her wrist exposing the raw scabby skin beneath, stepping into the scalding hot shower still wearing her pyjamas she began to scrub at the wounds on her wrists before long blood began to trickle down her arm and make the water a pale red colour, she removed her top and continued to scrub at the various cuts and grazes that littered her upper body.

Grissom was woken by the sound of running water, he listen for a moment to try and work out where in the house the noise was coming from and upon realising that the sound was coming form the guest room he leaped out of bed. The sight that greeted him when he opened the door to the guest bathroom nearly broke his heart; Sara was standing still in her pyjama shorts frantically scrubbing at her skin making it bleed, she did not stop even when he opened the door to the shower cubical only when he reach over and turned off the steaming water did she face him. "I feel so dirty. I can still feel their hands all over me" Her bottom lip began to tremble as she tried not to cry, "I'm disgusting." slowly she slid down onto the floor of the shower and began to rock back and forth sobbing, "Why me Grissom? Why does this keep happening to me?" Kneeling down beside her Grissom gently pulled her to him, "Oh Sara, I don't know how to make this better? But I do know how much I care for you and I promise that nothing bad will ever happen to you again, do you trust me?"

Trembling slightly as she began to feel cold Sara listened to Grissom's speech, So many hours had been spent wondering what it would be like to be this close to Grissom, to feel his arms around her and hear him speak so openly about his feelings for her, but never in any of her dreams was that scene the result of her being raped and beaten, she felt so vulnerable and weak. Was he just feeling sorry for her was this sudden change in Grissom because he pitied her, she didn't want his pity, she wanted his love.

"Why are you saying this now Grissom, look at me, does it turn you on to see me like this. Do you feel sorry for me is that why you are spouting this crap? I don't need your pity Grissom; I've got through this before on my own I will do it again." With that she struggled awkwardly to her feet and tentatively grabbed a towel, finding that she couldn't wrap it around herself with only one free hand she began to cry again only harder this time, _Damn it_ she thought. Feeling the towel being draped around her shoulders Sara looked up only to be met by his steely blue eyes.

"I guess I deserved that, but you are wrong, I don't pity you. I feel angry at what has happened to you but I don't pity you." Sara blinked at she looked into his eyes searching for any sign that he wasn't speaking the truth, she found none. "I have always cared for you, but I have been too stupid and stubborn to do anything about it, but I want that to change, I want to prove to you that you can trust me, is that too much to ask?"

She wanted to believe him really she did more than anything in the world but now she was the one scared, here she was her body broken, she wasn't sure she had the strength to answer; "what do you want from me, Grissom?"

"A chance to show you I wont hurt you again, nothing more just a chance."

Sara nodded slowly, suddenly exhausted from the recent events. Looking down Grissom noticed her seeping wounds that she had tried to scrub clean, blood was still oozing from her cut wrists, "Lets get you cleaned up, shall we." And with that he helped her back into the bedroom and went to get the new dressings the hospital had provided them with. Sara watched as he meticulously bandaged her wounds making sure the dressings weren't too tight. Taking a sudden deep breath she spoke. "My father raped me when I was 10."

Grissom's eyes snapped to her face, her eyes were slightly glazed as she went on, "He always called me his special girl, he would come into my room to watch me sleep, then one night I felt him get into my small single bed, I didn't understand what was going on and when I figured it out it was too late, it felt the same Grissom when those men attacked me I was ten years old again."

"How long did it go on for?" Grissom had known about the violence and the beatings but she had never told him her father had abused her.

"Eighteen months, twice or three times a week I would hear him creeping into my room, telling me it was a game, our special little secret. I would smell the alcohol on him as he panted in my face. It hurt so much, but nobody wondered why I couldn't straighten up properly the day after, nobody questioned the blood stained underwear and sheets. When I finally plucked up the courage to tell mom she called me a whore, then the shouting started and the next time I saw my father he was being loaded into a body bag and they took my mom away in a police car. Its funny but I cannot remember the name of the woman from child services, but I gripped her hand so tightly they had to pull me away from her." A single tear slid down her face only to be brushed away by his thumb, he held her for the longest time not saying anything just holding her as if to take away all her pain. Eventually she pulled away, "I'm tired, can you help me put some fresh clothes on please?"

"Sure" As the towel slipped from her shoulders Grissom's eyes scanned her body, she looked like a bag of bones her fragile frame was tiny he could clearly see all her ribs even through the dark bruises. Feeling his eyes upon her Sara turned away, "Don't look, I know I'm disgusting" she tried to cover herself with her free arm.

"Look at me Sara." Grissom demanded.

Reluctantly she turned back to face him but kept her arm in place.

"You are not disgusting, you are too thin, but I am planning on rectifying that as of tomorrow." Pausing for a moment he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face so that she was looking into his. "You are beautiful, these marks will fade and before long you will feel better I promise. You have never been anything other that beautiful in my eyes Sara and that is never going to change." Quickly he helped her into a clean night shirt and laid her back on the bed covering her with the duvet, "try and get some rest, I'll leave the door open if you need me just call out."

Settling back into his own bed Grissom felt drained the events of the past week finally catching up with him but he felt determined to help Sara through this, every revelation that she shared with him only served to make him more intent on protecting her. He had thought what he had to offer Sara wouldn't be enough to satisfy her in the long term but after seeing this different side to her he conceded that he may have been wrong and the self preservation that he had kept up for the last five years had been without reason. He had been scared to let her into his heart, into his soul for fear that she would get bored and leave him, maybe she had been just as scared but had been brave enough to take a few tentative steps towards him which he had rebuffed without any thought for her feelings. Cursing himself for his lack of tact he resolved to make things right, _as of tomorrow Sara would be his number one priority_. Feeling better after reaching his momentous decision he relaxed into his pillow, that's when he heard it for the first time, he had to strain his ears to hear it properly, but yes he was right, soft muffled sobs coming from across the hall, she was crying again. Torn between the urge to comfort her and the voice in his head telling him to let her get it out of her system in her own way Grissom finally resolved to trying to get some sleep, _maybe she would feel better after a good cry._

**Chapter 10**

The following morning Grissom woke after an uneasy slumber to find Sara missing from her bed, panic filled his body as he dashed from the room, making a quick search of the bathroom he moved to the living area, still no sight, and then he noticed the patio doors ajar. Seeing her hunched up on the small bench with a blanket over her he felt a sudden flash of emotion, she looked like a child, her hair was in an endearing tangle of curls and her nightshirt was covered in teddy bear motifs. She was staring across his small garden but he could tell that she was not looking at anything, lost in her own world thinking about God knows what.

"Can I join you?"

Jumping slightly at the sound of his words she awkwardly shuffled further up the bench to give him room to sit beside her, "Sorry about last night, I didn't mean to burden you with all that rubbish."

"I'm glad that you felt you could share that with me, I know how hard it must have been for you to do that. Thank You." Tentatively he reached out for her good hand and brought it into his own gently stroking the back of her fingers with his thumb. "Come on, lets get some breakfast." Helping her to her feet they made their way back into the house.

As Grissom organised himself in the kitchen collecting all the utensils and ingredients he would need Sara watched from the table, "I appreciate all this Grissom, I know you are not used to having anybody in your house, just as soon as I can cope a little better on my own I will go back to my apartment."

Looking up from his task he made his way around the breakfast bar to where Sara was seated, taking a minute to pick his words carefully he eventually sat on the chair closest to her, "I want you to stay here, with me." Pausing for a minute to gauge her reaction and failing in his attempt to decipher what she was thinking he decided to continue anyway. "I want you to feel comfortable here and I would feel better with you near me knowing you are safe."

"You can't wrap me in cotton wool Grissom I will have to face the rest of the world at some point."

"I know that, but after seeing you in that hospital bed it made me realise that I have wasted too much time trying to deny my feeling for you and I don't want to waste any more time. It is important to me that you know that you can rely on me; I want you in my life."

"Grissom" she started to say but he put a finger on her lips to silence her.

"Let me finish, I know what you have been through and it doesn't change how I feel towards you, I just want to make you happy. Will you stay?" He nervously waited for her to reply.

"We'll see how to goes."

Not the definite 'yes' he was hoping for but better than nothing Grissom returned to making the breakfast, when it was ready he placed a portion of eggs in front of her along with some juice. "Later I will have to run to the store to get a few supplies and I have asked Nick to call in and keep you company while I am gone, is that alright?"

Seeing her body tense at his words he added, "Its OK, its only Nicky he has been dying to come and see you, they all have but I managed to put them off while you were still in the hospital. He has been really worried about you."

She didn't really want anybody else to see her like this; it was bad enough having Grissom look after her like a helpless child but Nick was a different matter, "When is he getting here? I want to get dressed before he arrives I don't want him seeing me like this."

Grissom watched as she pushed the untouched eggs around her plate, "Its alright he is only due this afternoon." Reaching out he put a hand on her arm, "I wont be gone long, I promise. Now will you please eat something, if you don't want the eggs then I can make you something else."

Reluctantly she placed a small forkful of egg into her mouth, actually they were quite nice, who would have thought that Grissom could cook, She always had him down as a TV dinner type person.

"Hum, this is nice" she said between mouthfuls.

Relieved Grissom just smiled, happy that she was at least making an attempt at eating something.

**Chapter 11**

When Nick arrived at Grissom's townhouse some hours later he was surprised to find that he was actually a little nervous at seeing Sara. The Sara he knew and loved was always joking about with him; she had been the one to support him after his kidnapping and the months after. He did not know what state she would be in; he had heard some of the detail of her attack when Brass had returned from the hospital that first night. Unhurriedly he lifted his hand to knock on the door.

Inside Grissom's town house Sara was nervously fidgeting in the armchair, her legs pulled up in a defensive posture. Grissom had helped her to shower and get dressed in loose jeans and although the temperature outside was easily topping 85 she had insisted on wearing a long sleeved sweater to cover her arms. She had managed to comb her hair and it lay loose around her face covering some of the scars. That had been the intention, when she heard the knock at the door her eyes flew to where Grissom was sat at the dining table tapping on his laptop.

"It's alright" he soothed "It's only Nick" opening the door Grissom greeted Nick and stepped back to allow him to enter.

"Hi Sara, sweetheart how are you feeling, we have all been worried about you." Nick crossed the room and sat in the chair at the side of Sara, it was obvious she had tried to hide as much of her body as possible but he couldn't help but notice the bandages on her hands as she tried to pull her sleeves down.

"I'm feeling a bit better and Grissom has been taking good care of me" Looking round to where Grissom was standing she graced him with a small smile. Happy that she would be OK for a little while Grissom collected his keys off the kitchen counter and headed to the door, "I won't be long, is there anything you need me to pick up from the store?" When she shook her head he went on his way.

Later that evening Sara lay on the couch, her leg across his lap as he read out loud an article from a forensics magazine. She had enjoyed Nick's company but it had tired her out and she could feel her eyes getting heavy as Grissom's voice soothed her. Noticing that she was drifting off to sleep Grissom put the journal down, unsure of how to proceed he contemplated the options mentally, he couldn't carry her into the bedroom as it would hurt her broken shoulder but then again he didn't want her to stay on the couch as it wasn't the most comfortable, eventually he placed a tender hand on her leg and shook her awake. "Come on, let's get you into bed."

Dressed in another animal embossed pair of pyjamas Sara sat on the edge of the bed, she was beginning to feel better, they had talked at some length earlier on and Grissom had once again asked her to stay with him, it wasn't that she did not like being around him, just the opposite she liked it a bit too much and she was wary of getting too comfortable in case he changed his mind. Deciding to test the water she cleared her throat and then fixed him with her eyes. "Gris, will you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be on my own, will you just hold me, nothing more."

Sliding into the bed beside her Grissom felt awkward, not that it wasn't one of his fantasies to share a bed with Sara but the circumstances had been a little different in his dreams. Sensing that he was anxious she raised her good hand and let it brush across his face, "Its OK, it is weird for me too, are you still alright with me being here?"

Realising what she was asking he quickly reassured her, "I don't want to rush you; you have been through a lot and I don't want to frighten you away. We will take things as slow as you want but I want you to know I will not desert you" Motioning between the two of them with his hand he continued, "You and me, this is for keeps, if that is what you still want, I want it more than anything." A single tear rolled down her cheek and he began to pull away, _had he said too much too soon? _Before he could withdraw from the bed her voice stopped him. "I have wanted to hear you say those words for so long, I feel like my mind is playing tricks on me, is this for real?" He relaxed and gathered her hand in his own and allowed his lips to brush across it, "Does that feel real?" Shocked at his actions she nodded and soon succumbed to sleep, happy for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime.


End file.
